The sudden and suspicious demise of the nameless rogue cultivator was like a spark thrown into a powder keg of simmering suspicion and greed, detonating the atmosphere within the grand hall of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
"Dead men tell no tales!" Manh Tam of the Crazy Sand Gang was the first to bellow. He was no fool; he knew that in a place like the City of Chaos, nothing happened by mere coincidence. This death was too timely, too perfect—clearly, someone was pulling the strings from the shadows. And the prime suspect was the Black Dragon Stronghold, the very faction just "pointed out" by the deceased.
"Excellent! What a marvelous play by your Black Dragon Stronghold!" Manh Tam brandished his massive saber, pointing it directly at the Black Dragon group. "Silencing a witness right before the eyes of the world! Do you think my Crazy Sand Gang is made of soft mud, for you to knead as you please?"
"Manh Tam! Do not spit blood at people!" The leader of the Black Dragon Stronghold was also livid with rage. He knew he had fallen into a trap, but he lacked any means to explain himself. "Clearly, someone is maliciously framing us! Can you not see that?"
"Framing?" The Blood Demoness of the Phantom Shadow Pavilion finally spoke, her voice sweet yet cold as ice. "Then why did that rogue cultivator name your Black Dragon Stronghold specifically, rather than our Crazy Sand Gang or Phantom Shadow Pavilion? Or perhaps... you truly did strike a secret bargain with the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, and now that you've been exposed, you've decided to bite back?"
A single sentence had added fuel to the fire! The Phantom Shadow Pavilion clearly had no intention of standing idly by; they sought to exploit this chaos to weaken both of their competitors.
"You lot..."
The air in the grand hall was as taut as a bowstring. Three major factions, three fierce tigers, snarled at one another as their killing intent clashed with audible intensity. The surrounding crowd had long since scrambled back, forming a wide circle, watching the spectacle with a mixture of terror and rapt curiosity.
The old auctioneer on the high platform turned ashen, frantically waving his hands to explain, but his voice was utterly drowned out by the fury of the three factions.
And what of Tran Kien, the director of this entire performance?
He remained seated in the most obscured corner. His bamboo hat hid most of his face, revealing only the corners of his mouth curled into a frigid smile. He was executing one of the most classic of stratagems: "Muddying the Waters to Catch the Fish". He had stirred the pond into a murky mess, and now was the time for the greatest fish—the one no one noticed—to act in silence.
He did not look at the argument. From beginning to end, his gaze was locked onto a single object: the Demon General Medallion atop the high platform.
While everyone's attention—including the auctioneer's and the pavilion's guards—was focused on the confrontation between the three major powers, Tran Kien began to move. He did not stand. He merely slid down from his seat, and like a boneless serpent, he quietly slithered across the thick carpet of magical beast fur, producing not a single sound. The carpet, which was both luxurious and sound-absorbing, had now become his greatest ally.
The Primordial Chaos Qi within his body circulated, enveloping his entire form and concealing every trace of his aura. He was like a phantom, a part of the chaos, slowly... slowly... approaching the auction platform.
The argument on stage grew increasingly violent.
"If you do not give me a satisfactory explanation today, do not dream of leaving this place!" Manh Tam roared, sandy-yellow saber-qi erupting from his blade.
"An explanation? Why the hell would your father explain anything to you!" The men of the Black Dragon Stronghold also drew their weapons.
The Blood Demoness quietly took a step back, gesturing for her subordinates to prepare—the fisherman waiting for his prize.
No one. Absolutely no one noticed the black shadow silently reaching the base of the platform.
Having reached the perfect position directly beneath the table holding the iron box, Tran Kien did not hesitate. He did not leap up, as that would lead to immediate discovery. He merely raised his hand.
An incomparably thin, nearly transparent thread of spiritual energy, forged from Primordial Chaos Qi, shot out from his fingertip. Without a sound, it coiled around a corner of the Demon General Medallion.
Then, he gave a gentle tug.
Under the watchful eyes of hundreds, the command medallion silently slid out of the iron box, falling onto the thick carpet below the platform without a sound. Then, the thread of spiritual energy pulled it along the carpet, straight toward the obscured corner where Tran Kien was hidden.
Everything unfolded perfectly, as smooth as flowing water and drifting clouds.
Right at that moment, the argument on stage reached its breaking point.
"Fine! Since you refuse to give face, do not blame my Crazy Sand Gang for being impolite!" Manh Tam bellowed, prepared to strike.
"Stop!" The old auctioneer, after a moment of panic, finally regained his composure. He knew that if these three factions fought here, his Myriad Treasures Pavilion would surely be razed to the ground.
"Fellow Daoists!" he called out, utilizing his Foundation Establishment cultivation. "This matter is clearly the work of a villain playing tricks! Let us calm ourselves and investigate together! The Demon General Medallion is still here; it isn't going anywhere!"
With that, he turned around, pointing at the iron box on the table, intending to use the item itself to mediate the peace.
But as he pointed, he, Manh Tam, the Blood Demoness, and the Black Dragon leader... all of them froze.
The iron box was still there. But the inside... was empty!
The Demon General Medallion... had vanished!
"WHERE IS IT?!" the auctioneer shrieked in horror, his voice cracking.
For a heartbeat, the entire hall plunged into a deathly, terrifying silence.
Then, a second later, a chaos ten times more horrific exploded.
"Excellent! Truly excellent, Myriad Treasures Pavilion! You dare to collude with them and put on a show in front of us!" Manh Tam roared, his rage truly reaching its peak.
"It wasn't me! It was clearly you lot!"
The suspicion finally erupted into a true melee. Saber light, sword shadows, fiendish Qi... everything exploded, turning the luxurious hall into a literal meat grinder.
Meanwhile, at a secret escape exit behind the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, Tran Kien—the one who had leisurely obtained the Demon General Medallion—quietly pushed open a hidden door and merged into the night of the City of Chaos.
He left behind a play of absolute chaos, and the "big fish" who were still frantically tearing at each other in the muddy waters he had created.
The true fish had already taken the entire net and departed in leisure.